Lisa's Book List 2017

Lisa’s 2017 Book List

Oh how I wish that I loved to read as a child like I do now. I credit books and podcasts for so much of my continued growth and inspiration. And admittedly, I listen to most of my books on audible.com. My book list varies greatly with topics of business, self development, nutrition, parenting and more. Each year, I share with you my favorite titles and a few of the lessons that I learned. Now I realize that my list is not for everyone. There is no fiction here. Most of the books are on self development, leadership and parenting. A couple were on finance as that is an area that I’m weak at so I’m wanting to fill that gap. I actually read more than this in 2017 but these are my top book recommendations for you! Would love to hear your must read books!

Michael Hyatt, as many of you know, is my virtual mentor. For sure, he has taught me so much about goal setting and how to design my life. In this book, he and Harkavy teach us how to avoid “drift” and how to create a living plan. They show you how to design your life with a step by step guide. Because I’m already an avid goal setter, I didn’t follow their exact plan. But it was a great book to kick off the year!

What I learned:

How to avoid the “drift” where we realize we are NOT living an intentional life and are not where we wanted to be.

The importance of thinking about your legacy and how you want to be remembered as you design your life plan.

You may know Gretchen Rubin from The Happiness Project or Happier at Home, two of my favorite books. Here she tackles one of my favorite topics...habits.

Our habits are what lead to change. Our habits make up our everyday life. We can use habits to create happier, stronger and more productive lives. Better Than Before teaches us how to change our habits. She gives us a framework to understand our habits and how to change them for good.

This was one of my very favorite books of the year! You'll never see leadership the same way again after reading this book. These fifteen commitments are a distillation of decades of work with CEOs and other leaders. Unconscious leadership is not sustainable. It won't work for you, your team or your organization in the long term. Unconscious leadership can deliver short term results, but the costs of living and leading unconsciously are great. This book gives you a road map to guide you to shift from fear-based to trust-based leadership. Once you learn and start practicing conscious leadership you'll get results in the form of more energy, clarity, focus and healthier relationships. If you are a CEO or business leader, read this book. Actually, I bet the 15 commitments work for motherhood too!

“In thirty years’ time, as technology moves forward even further, people are going to look back and wonder why offices ever existed. —RICHARD BRANSON, FOUNDER OF VIRGIN GROUP

”With so many of our FIT4MOM employees remote, I knew I wanted to learn more about best practices for success. Basecamp founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson explore the "work from home" phenomenon and show precisely how a remote work setup can be accomplished. The Industrial Revolution's "under one roof" model of conducting work is steadily declining as technology creates virtual workspaces that allow employees to provide their vital contribution without physically clustering together. Today, the new paradigm is "move work to the workers, rather than workers to the workplace." The office during the day has become the last place people want to be when they really want to get work done.

In this book, columnist Ron Lieber explains how talking openly to children about money can help parents raise modest, patient, grounded young adults who are financially wise beyond their years. Funny enough, Lieber thinks that being spoiled has nothing to do with money. He thinks kids are spoiled because they have no chores, no rules, too much attention and too many material possessions. He teaches us how and why we need to talk about money to our kids. He suggests that we let kids start earning money as soon as they can. I think we need this book more than ever and it’s something I continue to work on in my own household.

In Love Your Life, Not Theirs, Cruze shines a spotlight on the most damaging money habit we have: comparing ourselves to others. She teaches seven essential money habits for living the life we really want--a life in line with our values, where we can afford the things we want to buy without being buried under debt, stress, and worry

This was definitely one of my 2017 favorites and a must read for every working mom.

Once the poster girl for doing it all, after she had her first child, Tiffany Dufu struggled to accomplish everything she thought she needed to in order to succeed. Like so many driven and talented women who have been brought up to believe that to have it all, they must do it all, Dufu began to feel that achieving her career and personal goals was an impossibility. Eventually, she discovered the solution: letting go. In Drop the Ball, Dufu recounts how she learned to reevaluate expectations, shrink her to-do list, and meaningfully engage the assistance of others―freeing the space she needed to flourish at work and to develop deeper, more meaningful relationships at home. This was a fresh new look at how women can achieve their goals and stay sane in the process.

Well of course I had to read this. I am such a huge fan of Start with Why by Simon. In his work, Sinek noticed that some teams trust each other so deeply that they would literally put their lives on the line for each other. Other teams, no matter the incentives, are doomed to infighting and failure. Sinek wanted to know why.

The answer became clear during a conversation with a Marine Corps general. "Officers eat last," he said. Sinek watched as the most junior Marines ate first while the most senior Marines took their place at the back of the line. What's symbolic in the chow hall is deadly serious on the battlefield: Great leaders sacrifice their own comfort--even their own survival--for the good of those in their care.

The main message of the book is that the buck stops at the leader. It starts at the top and filters its way down to management then to employees then to the customers. The book offers solutions for leaders which include empathy, autonomy, how to create an encouraging environment, and how to find the balance between cooperation and collaboration.

If you know me, you know I’m not a fan of diets. But I am a fan of a lifestyle of whole food eating. I have had many clients ask me my feelings about The Whole 30 Diet. I didn’t think I could respond without truly understanding the concept. This book outlines Dallas and Melissa Hartwig’s 30 day nutritional reset. I am still not a fan of diets or resets as my experience coaching thousands of clients has been that every diet is followed by an equal and opposite binge. However, there are many good nuggets in here to help people realize the benefits of whole food eating. I would just say to move towards it as a lifestyle rather than a total reset. Of course, you do what’s best for you!

Ok to be honest, I’m not done with this book. I keep it on my nightstand and read a few stories a week. Tim Ferriss interviewed 200 world class performers that ranged from super celebs like Arnold Schwarzenegger to athletes to biochemists. The book contains their tools, tactics and personal strategies for success. You will find out everything from their favorite books to lessons in life. Tim admittedly will try pretty much any kind of health experiment and loves risks so realize that not all of the lessons will be a fit for you. It’s one of those books that doesn’t have to be read from chapter 1 to chapter 2. Pick out the kind of story you want to read about and dive in.

As I mentioned earlier, I’m a fan of learning about habits. My Masters degree is in Psychology and I have been forever fascinated by the power of the brain and how we can train it. I finished up the year with this book an thoroughly enjoyed it.

After extensive original research and a decade as the world’s highest-paid performance coach, Brendon Burchard reveals the most effective habits for reaching long-term success. Based on one of the largest surveys ever conducted on high performers, it turns out that just six habits move the needle the most in helping you succeed. Adopt these six habits, and you win. Neglect them, and life is a never-ending struggle. To become a high performer, you must seek clarity, generate energy, raise necessity, increase productivity, develop influence, and demonstrate courage. This book is about the art and science of how to practice these proven habits.